Hatbox
by Meghan Page
Summary: When Mina finds a hatbox under Lucy's bed, its contents aren't exactly what she's expecting. Lucy/Mina. Inspiration from "Jenny" by Studio Killers


_Stealing your stuff now and then_

_Nothing you'd miss, but it means the world to me_

- "Jenny" by Studio Killers

* * *

It had been a hard day of work at Dr. Van Helsing's classroom. Mina was feeling much more comfortable and confident in her work with the doctor, although it was still more secretarial than she would have preferred. Van Helsing had given her some papers to bring home and grade, which she had diligently been doing until Lucy had arrived. In her usual Lucy fashion, she had bemoaned the fact that Mina was never available to spend time with her.

"What with your work and the engagement," she said, catching a bit before the word, "I feel I never see you any more! Can't you put it down for just tonight?"

Mina shook her head with a laugh at her friend's ridiculous pout. "No, Lucy, Dr. Van Helsing needs me to look at these papers before tomorrow." As she saw the look of real sadness on Lucy's face, however, she revised her statement. "But I would love for you to stay while I do so."

Lucy's face lit up in a smile, and Mina felt a sense of pleasure for being able to put it there. She had noticed, when they had managed to spend some time together, that her friend looked much more downcast, and perhaps lonely, than usual. Perhaps she really did need to get out of her room more often…

As if reading her thoughts, Lucy replied, "No, no, we need to get you out of this stuffy old room, you've been spending far too much time here. You must come to my house, I insist!"

"Well, if you insist," Mina teased with a giggle.

Lucy bounded over to her, taking her hand and all but dragging her over to the door, already talking a mile a minute.

Laughing, Mina dug her heels into the carpet, bringing them to an abrupt halt.

"Forgetting something?" she asked, a smile playing at her lips as she nodded over her shoulder to her desk, where the papers were still strewn.

Lucy sighed. "The papers." She dropped Mina's hands to cross her arms over her chest, a new pout on her lips.

"Yes, dear," Mina said, chucking Lucy affectionately under the chin. "I really do have to grade them tonight. Dr. Van Helsing needs them for tomorrow."

"Oh, gather them up then," Lucy responded, waving a hand toward the pile. "I'll figure out a way for us to have some fun in spite of them."

* * *

Hours later, Mina was reclined on Lucy's bed, propped up with pillows and with a serving tray on her lap as a makeshift writing surface. Lucy was across the room at her vanity, fussing with her hair and makeup, or at least she seemed to be; several times Mina caught her eye in the mirror, only for her to glance away quickly as if she had been caught staring.

Mina twirled her pencil idly between her fingers, having lost focus on the paper in front of her. She always had such a lovely time with Lucy. She always felt warm and comfortable, as if the pressures of the world melted away. There was no Dr. Van Helsing to worry about impressing, no engagement to agonize over. There was only Lucy, with her sweet, idle chatter and easy presence.

Not paying attention to what she was doing, the pencil slipped from Mina's fingers and onto the floor, where it promptly rolled under the bed. Sighing, Mina put the tray aside and slid off the bed, kneeling down to reach underneath it.

As she lifted the dust ruffle, she saw a small hatbox pushed back into the shadows. Retrieving the pencil and placing it behind her ear, she grabbed the box and brought it out.

"Lucy, what's this?" she called as she climbed to her feet, placing the box on the mattress.

"What's what, dear?" Lucy answered, looking at Mina in the mirror. As she recognized the object in Mina's hands, she lurched to her feet, spinning towards the bed and reaching out her hand. "Mina, wait –"

But it was too late. Mina had already opened the box, and recognized what was inside. She reached forward slowly, as if in a trance, and picked up the piece of fabric. She brought the square up to her nose, inhaling, then spread it on the palm of her hand, tracing the embroidery in the corner.

"This is my handkerchief." She said softly. "I gave it to Jonathan. I scented it with my own perfume, and these are my initials in the corner." She slowly turned to Lucy, the handkerchief limp on her palm. "Why do you have it?"

Lucy stood frozen next to her vanity, her hands clutched up to her chest and her face devoid of any color. Her eyes were huge and panicked.

"Mina, please, I –" She floundered for words. Abruptly, she dropped her hands to her sides, her fingers clenching into fists, her face flushing.

"He didn't appreciate it," she snarled, her lip curling. "He didn't know what a precious thing you had given him. I was there, you remember, when you gave it to him. Oh, he seemed to cherish it, while you were there. But you left early, for a class, and as soon as you did, he put it down on the table and forgot about it. _He left it there_." Lucy's face was transformed with loathing; Mina had never seen her this angry before.

"But I knew," she whispered, the fire suddenly leaving her, her face and shoulders sagging. "I knew how valuable it was. So I rescued it and put it in the box, with –"

She abruptly turned away, as if she was unable to continue.

Bewildered, Mina turned back to the box, where she saw the other objects that had been covered by the handkerchief. She brought them out one by one, and recognized each. A twist of hair ribbons she had though lost, hairpins she supposed she had misplaced. Several pencils she recognized as the kind she used, sharpened to near nubs, one even with her teeth marks on the end where she had worried it during an exam. A pair of old, worn gloves with a hole in the pinky she swore she had thrown out. And, last of all, a necklace, coiled carefully at the bottom of the box.

Mina felt tears well up as she lifted the necklace, laying the small charm in her palm. It was a heart made of beaten silver, so thin you thought it would break at the slightest touch. Curling her fingers carefully around it, she brought it up close to her heart.

"Lucy…" she said, turning back towards the vanity. Her friend still had her back to her, but Mina saw her shiver when she said her name.

"Lucy…" she repeated, crossing to her and laying a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her until they faced each other. "You kept it."

Lucy raised her eyes to meet Mina's, then dropped them to Mina's hand as she opened it between them. As she saw what was in it, she smiled a shaky smile.

"Of course I did," she said, running her fingers over its chain in Mina's palm. Mina's palm began to tingle at her touch.

"I remember when I gave it to you. You used to wear it all the time." Lucy picked the necklace up, bringing her arms around Mina's neck to clasp it there. "It always looked so beautiful around your neck. You have no idea how happy it made me to see it there."

"Lucy –" Mina choked out, her tears welling over.

"Oh, no, Mina dearest, don't cry." Lucy leaned forward, kissing the tears from Mina's cheeks.

Where her lips touched, Mina felt the same tingling she had felt in her palm. She stiffened, and Lucy took a step back immediately.

"Mina, please forgive me, I didn't mean –" She withdrew her hands from where they had remained around Mina's shoulders. Mina could see the color high in her cheeks, and could feel the corresponding flush in her own.

She reached out and took Lucy's hand, drawing her back. She placed her hands on Lucy's upper arms, slowly rubbing them up and down. Smiling slightly, she said, "There's nothing to forgive, my dearest Lucy."

Tentatively, she leaned back in, bringing her lips towards Lucy's. At the last second she paused, giving Lucy the option to back away again.

Instead, Lucy surged forward, crashing their lips together. She wrapped her hands around Mina's neck once more, clinging to her like she was afraid she would disappear.

Mina felt the tingling fill her entire body, but instead of feeling strange, now it felt warm, and right. The sensation was strongest wherever Lucy's body met hers; her hands on Lucy's shoulders, her neck where Lucy's hands were clasped, and her lips, which felt like they might be on fire.

She pulled back, wanting to see Lucy's face. Her eyes were huge and dark, her lips slightly parted. Color had spread down her neck and across her chest, which was heaving with hitched breaths. She was looking at Mina like she was the most beautiful thing on earth.

Smiling shyly, Mina took another step back, trailing her hand down Lucy's arm. She watched the trail of goosebumps that formed behind her fingers, in awe that she could create such a reaction in Lucy. Clasping their fingers together, she began to lead her over to the bed.

When Lucy realized where they were going, she brought them to an abrupt halt. "Mina…"

"No need to worry, Miss Westenra," Mina smiled, stepping closer and running her hand along Lucy's jaw. Lucy leaned into her touch. "There will be no taking of virtue tonight. It's only that it's late, and I'd –" She broke off, suddenly feeling shy about her request, and looked at the ground. "I'd very much like to sleep in your arms tonight."

She looked back into Lucy's eyes, and saw that they were shining with happiness. This time, it was Lucy that led them over to the bed. Her hand still clasped around Mina's, she placed her collection of Mina's things back into the hatbox and put it on the side table. Then, with a sweep of her arm, she swept all of the papers onto the floor.

"I've wanted to do that since you got here," she giggled, then crawled up onto the bed, bringing Mina with her.

They snuggled together, their foreheads touching, their hands still clasped between them. Swapping kisses, they twined their legs together as they dropped off toward sleep.

Nuzzling her head into Lucy's neck, Mina let out a sigh of contentment.

"Thank you," she whispered, placing a kiss on Lucy's collarbone.

"For what, dear?" Lucy asked in between kisses to Mina's soft hair.

"For keeping my things," she replied softly, yawning slightly and snuggling closer to Lucy's warmth. "It's nice to know that someone truly cares."

Lucy smiled into Mina's hair, then kissed it once more. "Of course, my dearest Mina."


End file.
